Swimming pool vacuum cleaner



P 966 R. CON RAD 3,243,830

SWIMMING POOL VACUUM CLEANER Filed Sept. 29, 1964 INVENTOR,

O J k R BERT CONRAD,

ATTORNEY United States Patent T.

3,243,830 SWIMMING POOL VACUUM CLEANER Robert Conrad, 1531 N, Rose St.,Burbank, Calif. Filed Sept. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 400,099 6 Claims. (Cl.151.7)

The present invention relates to a swimming pool vacuum'cleaner of atype which does not use a brush of the bristle type, nor a waterpressure nozzle.

The average vacuum brush provided with bristles is moved through themedium of a long handle by an operato'rstanding at the edge of a pool.Such brush movement against the pool wall and door disturbs the waterand any debris on the wall and floor rises within the water withresultant inefficient cleaning of the pool.

My invention has for one of its objects a swimming pool vacuum cleanerwhich does not create disturbance in the water sufficient to causesuspension of debris therein, and which cleaner is so constructed thatthe cleaning action of the pool is continuous without intermittent stopsand which will readily pick up heavy debris such as sand and leaves.

A further object is the provision of a vacuum cleaner for swimming poolswhich washes a swimming pool from debris by hydraulic washing actionalone without the use of a brush,

A further object is the provision of a swimming pool vacuum cleanerhaving a'liead adapted to be moved over the pool walls and floor andwherein a swirling action of the water is created beneath the head toeffectively dislodge debris from the swimming pool enclosure effectivelyand efficiently.

A further object is the provision of a swimming pool vacuum cleanerwhich provides a hydraulic circular Washing action. 7 V

Other objects include a swimming pool vacuum cleaner which isinexpensive in cost of manufacture, readily constructed and efficient inuse and operation.

Other objects of my invention will appear as a detailed description ofthe invention is set forth.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of my invention shown as anentirety;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the head of thevacuum cleaner;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the head shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line 44 ofFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE -6 is a fragmentary, sectional View on an enlarged scale of thehead; and,

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammaticview illustrating the flow path of waterbeneath the vacuum head during operation thereof.

Referring now to the drawing, the swimming pool vacuum cleaner includesa vacuum head 1 to which is connected a hose 2 leading to a source ofvacuum such as a vacuum pump, not shown, and 3 is a handle secured tothe vacuum head 1 for moving the vacuum head over a pool floor or theside walls of a pool.

The vacuum head 1 comprises a fiat or plane plate 4 of segmental form inthat it has a substantially arcurate leading edge 5 and a chordconstituting a straight trailing edge 6. The bottom or base surface 7 ofthe plate 4 is surrounded by an arcuate marginal flange 8 bounding thearcuate leading edge 5 and a straight flange 9 bounding the straightedge 6, thus providing a depressed base. Extending transversely of thebase 7 is a flat or plane surfaced arcuate embossment 10, the boundingedges 11 3,243,830 Patented Apr. 5, 1966 and 12 of which generallyconform to the arcuate edge 5 of the plate 4. Extending f'rom the topsurface 13 is a tubular throat member 14 which is positionedsubstantially inter-mediate the plate 4 both transversely and laterallythereof, as shown. The tubular throat member 14 extends through the base7 of the plate, as shown by FIGURE 5, to porvide a month 1411.

The embossment 10 is provided with spaced surface grooves designatedgenerally as 15 which communicate on one side; to wit, the arcuate edge11 of the embossment, with the elongated arcuate groove 16 formed in thebase 7 and positioned between the arcuate edgell of the embossment andthe marginal flange 8 There is an elongated straight groove 17 ofuni-form depth between the marginal flange 9 arid the arcua'te edge 12and formed in the base 7. Thus the embossment divides the base 7transversely into two areas, one of which includes grooves 16 and theother a flat area having groove 17. Such a construction of the baseofthe head results in high and low planes as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6. I VThe vacuum head plate 4 is adapted to be supported by rollers of whichin the present instance there are three, as shown at 25, 26 and 27. Therollers 25 and 26 are offset from the marginal edge 6 of the plate 4while the roller 27 extends beyond the arcuate edge 5 and substantiallycentral of the plate 4 to provide a tricycle support. The constructionis such that the rollers are carried within the wells of fenders 30.Thus, referring to FIG- URE 6, the fenders extend above the top surfaceof the plate 4 and are curved to conform to the curvature of therollers, as shown at 31. The outer ends of the fenders terminate abovethe periphery of each roller, as shown at 32. Each fender includes sidewalls 33 and 34 which are' integral with the marginal flanges 8 and 9Each side wall is provided with an open ended slot 35 which is normal tothe plane of plate 4 and the rollers are mounted upon suitable axles 36which extend through the aligned slots 35 and provided with means 37 forholding the axles at adjusted heights within the slots. Thus the axlemay comprise a bolt having a smooth shank portion for the rollers, ahead, and a screw threaded portion receiving a nut whereby the axle maybe held in a selected position relative to the fender side walls. Inthis manner, the vacuum head may be raised or lowered relative to a poolsurface to be cleaned.

In the showing of the drawing I have provided a pair of lugs at 40 whichextend from the tube 14 as shown in FIGURE 2 and a yoke 41 bridges thelugs 40 and is held thereto by the means shown at 42 which may comprisea headed bolt passed through aligned openings in the yoke and the lugsand secured by a nut carried on threads of the bolt. The handle 3 isfastened to the yoke bracket as shown in FIGURE 1.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows.

Having made an adjustment as to the height of the vacuum head 1 above asurface to be cleaned by means of the adjustability permitted therollers 25, 26 and 27, and assuming that the tube 2 is connected tovacuum apparatus which draws water therethrough to be filtered so as toremove debris therefrom, the operator by means of handle 3 moves thevacuum head over the surface which may be a pool floor or a side wallthereof, the water ordinarily being passed through the tubular suctionthroat 14 and into the flexible tube 2 at approximately sixty gallonsper minute. The movement of water between the vacuum head base and thepool floor or wall causes a hydraulic circular washing action betweenthe base of the vacuum head and the pool floor or wall due to thearcuate groove 15 in the embossment 12 forming flow paths for the water.A rapid hydraulic circular washing action results such that suspensionof debris in the water does not occur. Thus, the flow path for the wateris inwardly of the marginal flange area and toward the mouth 14a of thetubular throat member 14. In other words, the water moves towards thecenter-of the throat and through the flexible tube 2. I have found thatthe low profile type cleaner head of my invention is superior to anybrush construction type vacuum cleaner which only disturbs the debrisand causes suspension thereof in water as the brush is moved over a poolfioor or wall. Furthermore, brushes wear rapidly and the presentinvention does not provide any means adapated to engage the floor orwall other than the rollers at 25, 26 and 27. The base of the vacuumhead maybe raised to different levels by the adjustment provided for therollers so that almost any character debris such as sand and leaves maybe readily washed from the pool floor or wall. The fender arrange menitby rising above the top surface of the vacuum head allows readyadjustment of the rollers to lift the vacuum head to different levelsandparticularly levels for the base of said head. In this manner the besthydraulic circular action for the head can be ascertained for a givenpool condition to assure that the flow of water is circular or on aradius using the suction throat tube asa center.

The high and low planes for the base surface of the head resulting fromthe raised embossment and the grooves 16 and 17 in the base surface havea direct effect of the fiow'of water passing inwardly under the marginalflanges. The direction of water flow inwardly of the head is illustratedin FIGURE 7 by the arrows at 50, 51, 52,v and 53. This constructionprovides a cleaner which attains the objects of the invention.

I claim:

1. A swimming pool vacuum cleaner including: a head and means supportingthe head for movement on the pool enclosure: said head comprising aplate having a base provided with a surrounding marginal flange andprovided with a transverse embossment having spaced apart transversearcuate grooves, a tubular throat comline is operating and the head iswithin water upon a pool enclosure surface, water is moved in a circularpath under the plate by the arcuate grooves of the embossment and intosaid tubular throat.

2. The combination in a swimming pool vacuum cleaner adapted to beconnected with a source of vacuum for drawing water through said vacuumcleaner, of: a vacuum head comprising a substantially segmental plateprovided with adjustable height rollers for positioning the plate abovea pool surface, said plate having a top and a base surface and a tubularthroat transversely passed through the plate intermediate the transverseand lateral widths of the plate, the vacuum line being connected to saidtubular throat; the base surface of said plate having a surroundingmarginal flange, and alaterally extending arcuate embossment on saidbasesurface, said emboss ment provided with a series of spaced arcuategrooves transverse of the embossment.

3. The device set forth in claim 2, the tubular throat interrupting thecontinuity of the embossment.

4. The device as set forth in claim 2, said base surface provided withan arcuate groove positioned between the marginal flange and the arcuateedge of the embossment.

5, The device as set forth in claim 2, the base of the plate providedwith elongated grooves positioned between the marginal flange and theembossment to provide high and low planes on the base surface. i

6. The device as set forth in claim 2, said arcuate grooves in saidembossment being on a radius with the axis of the tubular throat as thecenter thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES A.WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A SWIMMING POOL VACUUM CLEANER INCLUDING: A HEAD AND MEANS SUPPORTINGTHE HEAD FOR MOVEMENT ON THE POOL ENCLOSURE: SAID HEAD COMPRISING APLATE HAVING A BASE PROVIDED WITH A SURROUNDING MARGINAL FLANGE ANDPROVIDED WITH A TRANSVERSE EMBOSSMENT HAVING SPACED APART TRANSVERSEARCUATE GROOVES, A TUBULAR THROAT COMMUNICATING WITH THE BASE, SAIDTUBULAR THROAT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A VACUUM LINE WHEREBY WHEN THEVACUUM LINE IS OPERATING AND THE HEAD IS WITHIN WATER UPON A POOLENCLOSURE SURFACE, WATER IS MOVED IN A CIRCULAR PATH UNDER THE PLATE BYTHE ARCUATE GROOVES OF THE EMBOSSMENT INTO SAID TUBULAR THROAT.